More Vegetarian => diarrhea

[DoggyLady]

The good news about cutting down on meat and increasing veggie-fruit intake is that I have stopped having constipation. I also move my bowels every morning. Goodbye to piles, which I used to have.

The bad news. I get diarrhea.

I'm wondering if it's because raw veggies i buy from the markets are not as clean or fresh, or it's due to the milk-oats that I have for breakfast every day?

Milk is something I added to my diet recently to get the protein that i'm missing from meats. I drink a glass everyday.

I think I have to start cutting out on milk as well.

i need a new protein source. And I need a new breakfast menu.

[ButterflyWoman]

Try getting more fibre in your diet. Extra fibre can help with both constipation and diarrhea.

With regard to protein, you might try increasing your intake of legumes (beans, lentils, etc), which, coincidentally, also have a lot of fibre. Also consider eggs to supplement protein.

You might also consider trying lactose-free milk, or try taking a lactase supplement before you consume dairy products (you can get this at any decent pharmacy). Lactose-intolerance can cause all kinds of weird digestive issues.

[Lisa McGregor]

I think you could be right about the milk. Many people are intolerant to dairy products, especially milk, I know my Dad couldn't drink milk because he always got diarrhea when he did. In fact he often used it as a laxative when he was constipated. Sooooo...cut out the milk, replace it with other sources of protein and see if things improve. If not, then you know it's not the milk. Lxx

[Clint Cora]

You may want to consult with a local dietician who can help put together a feasible plan for you given local product availability and your target diet structure.

[firenexx]

It is fairly common, when starting a vegetarian-esque diet, to experience diarrhea. Your digestive system is all of a sudden dealing with a larger amount of fiber, which it has not gotten used to yet. It will eventually adjust. This diarrhea may last a week or several weeks, depending on your individual body.

Try easing up on the beans and other high-fibre foods for a little while. I know CaterpillarWoman recommended more fibre, but at the present moment that might make your diarrhea worse. In the future, when the diarrhea subsides, legumes are a good protein source. I would not worry about protein too much. Statistically, even most vegans get too much dietary protein.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by firenexx

I know CaterpillarWoman recommended more fibre, but at the present moment that might make your diarrhea worse.

My understanding of fibre (and my experience of it) is that it absorbs liquid in the bowel. If you're constipated, the fibre helps to form moist stool that's easier to pass. If you have diarrhea, the extra fibre can absorb the excess liquid and also add bulk so you're not just passing liquid.

(I have a condition which makes my bowels quite tricky, and I use the fibre adjustment thing all the time. Works very well for me.)

Is that not how fibre works, then? Happy to hear if I've got it wrong.

[firenexx]

I've always been under the impression that fiber helps those with constipation, and too much fiber makes for a loose stool. I've no way to back this up, but I can think of no other explanation for why a vegetarian diet often causes diarrhea in the first couple weeks other than an increase in fiber.
Hopefully we are both right, because what you're saying about fiber sounds correct.

[DoggyLady]

i've a suspicioon that it's about the milk, not the fibre.

I'm replacing the cow's milk with soymilk.

Let's wait and see what happens.

[Bballer]

I've been following a fruitarian diet for a few months now. That means I only eat fruits, vegetables, and on occasion nuts and seeds. From my experience, I would get stomach discomfort when I ate an improper combination of foods or ate too much in one sitting. I do know that milk is common to give people stomach problems as the human body does not recognize it as food and cannot properly digest it. I would recommend drinking water instead of anything else really. As far as protein goes, there is plenty of protein in fruits, vegetables, and nuts on a fruitarian diet. You don't really need a lot of protein. It's best to follow your body's cues to see what it needs.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by firenexx

I can think of no other explanation for why a vegetarian diet often causes diarrhea in the first couple weeks other than an increase in fiber.

Well, I can tell you that if I eat too much of certain kinds of fruits and vegetables, ones with a lot of water content, I tend to get very loose stools.

Interestingly, this applies to mice, rats, rabbits, and other small herbivores, as well; you have to be very careful what you feed them because anything with too much water can actually kill them (they're very small; the loss of fluid can be fatal very quickly). You'd think a natural (mostly) herbivore would be able to eat any amount of vegetables and/or fruit, but they absolutely can't. Not that I'm saying humans = small rodents, of course. It's just an observation.

I'm also not saying vegetarian diets are bad for you. It just takes a bit of adjustment for some people. (And for mice! )

[firenexx]

Well, I can tell you that if I eat too much of certain kinds of fruits and vegetables, ones with a lot of water content, I tend to get very loose stools.

This makes sense; I was under the impression that it was because of the amount of fiber in these fruits and vegetables.

[DoggyLady]

two days on soy milk. Still having soft stool.

Worse, I got a shock when I saw bright red in the toilet. I thought I was having internal bleeding.

after fretting for an hour, it dawned on me that.....

I have been having cranberries in my cereal for the past few days..... So it is cranberry dye in my stool.

[ButterflyWoman]

Originally Posted by DoggyLady

I got a shock when I saw bright red in the toilet. I thought I was having internal bleeding.

Just for future reference, internal bleeding is actually very dark when it comes out in stool. It looks like coffee grounds. Bright red blood is normally from something like an anal fissure or similar. Something closer to the skin, in other words.

(Yanno, it's kind of unfortunate that I have had to learn so much about bowel functions, but such is life, eh? )

Originally Posted by DoggyLady

after fretting for an hour, it dawned on me that.....

I have been having cranberries in my cereal for the past few days..... So it is cranberry dye in my stool.

That made me laugh, in a good way.